Leonard ames



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. Y

L. AMES, Jr., & J. H. ABEROROMBIE. GEARING FOR TRACTION ENGINES.

No. 402,881! Patented May '7, 1889.

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L. AMES, Jr., & J. H. ABERCROMBIE. GEARING FOR-TRACTION ENGINES.

No. 402,881. Patented Ma 7, 1889.

61- A 5 T Z minim VVITNESSES.

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

LEONARD AMES, J R, AND JAMES H. ABEROROMBIE, OF OSVVEGO, N EWV YORK, ASSIGNORS TO SAID LEONARD AMES, JR, LEONARD AMES, AND ARTHUR L. MERRIAM, OF SAME PLACE.

% GEARING FOR TRACTION-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,881, dated May '7, 1889.

Application filed January ll, 1889. SerialNo. 296,090. {No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEONARD AMEs, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and JAMES H. ABERCROMBIE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, both residents of Oswego, in the county of Oswego, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Throwing Gears Out of Connection, of which the following, taken in re connection with the accompanying drawings,

is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is specially designed for use on traction-engines, the object of the invention being to provide simple, conveniently- I 5 operated, and effective means for shifting the pinion on the main driving-shaft, so as to throw the same in and out of engagement with the gear on the counter-shaft which transmits propelling-power to the axle of the traction-wheels; and to that end the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a traction-engine embodying our improvements, the usual feed water pipe, steam-pipes, governor, and other parts having no connection with our invention being omit- 0 ted. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged views of ourimproved gear-shifting devices as presented toward the side and toward the rear of the engine, respectively. Fig. 4 is a detached plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a further enlarged 3 5 longitudinal sectional viewof the shifting-pinion, and Fig. 6 is a detached plan view of the ring by which the shifting-lever is connected with the aforesaid pinion.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre- 0 sponding parts.

B represents the boiler of the engine mounted at one end on the axle A of the tractionwheels A.

C denotes the engine-shaft or main driving-shaft, to one 'end of which is attached the pulley O, for transmitting motion to a thrashing-machine or other machine requiring the power of the engine. On the opposite end of said engine-shaft is mounted a pinion, P,

5 which is adapted to slide longitudinally thereon, and is confined circumferentially, so as to compel it to rotate with the shaft either by a feather-and-groove connection of said parts or other suitable and well-known construction. This pinion is employed for transmitting propelling-power to the traction-wheels, and this is effected by means of a countershaft, D, to which are attached a gear-wheel, I, and a pinion, 11, which latter meshes with a compensating gear on the axle A of the trac- 6o tion-wheels, the pinion P on the engine-shaft being adapted to be thrown in and out of engagement with the gear-wheel I.

It is the devices for shifting the pinion P to which our invention pertains. In order to allow the said pinion to be shifted conveniently by the engineer standing on the platform or cab of the engine, we employa lever, Z, for the aforesaid purpose, which lever is fulcrumed on an arm, N, extending from the cap of a box, L, which is fastened to the boiler B and supports the engine-shaft C in proximity to the pinion P, the free end of said lever standing in a position convenient of access by the engineer. The opposite end of the lever is slotted longitudinally, and connected thereby with a lug or stud, n, which projects from the exterior of a ring, I), which is connected with the hub of the pinion P in such a manner as to allow the pinion to turn in said ring and at the same time prevent the ring from slipping lengthwise on the hub.

In order to simplify the construction, and also render the device more secure and durable, we prefer to form the ring I) in one piece and form in the exterior of the end of the pinion-hub a circumferential rabbet, a, for the reception of the aforesaid ring, which is confined therein by a cap, 0, secured to the end of the aforesaid hub by bolts 25 t t.

To retain the lever in its desired position, we provide the same with a transverse segmental slot, 6, between the fulcrum f and free end of the lever, and form the arm N with an extension, N, to which is attached a stud- 5 pin, g, which projects through the slot 6 and is screw-threaded on its protruding end, and has a thumb-nut, h, connected to it. The slot 6 allows the lever to be swung on its fulcrum to throw the pinion P in or out of engage- I00 ment with the gear-wheel I, and by tightening the thumb-nut 71 the lever is retained in its position.

hat we claim as our invention is- 1. On a traction engine, in combination with the engine-shaft and propelling-axle, the counter-shaft between said engineshaft and axle and sustained parallel therewith, meshing propelling-gears on said counter-shaft and axle, a gear-Wheel fixed to said countershaft, and a pinion sliding longitudinally on the engine-shaft and confined circumferentially thereon, and a lever pivoted to a fixed support on the engine and connected with the sliding pinion to throw the same into and out of mesh with the gear-wheel of the coun&

ter-shaft, all combined to allow the engine to be operated to either transmit power to other engines or propel the engine on its tractionwheels, substantially as set forth and shown.

2. In combination with the engine-shaft C and the pinion P, sliding longitudinally on said shaft and confined circumferentially thereon and provided with the circumferential rabbet a in the end of its hub, the ring 11, seated in the aforesaid rabbet, the cap a, attached to the end of the aforesaid hub and abutting against the end of the ring I), and the lever Z, pivoted to a support 011 the e11- gine and coupled to the aforesaid ring, substantially as described and shown.

3. On a traction engine, in combination with the engine-shaft C, counter-shaft D, and gear-wheel I, fixed to the latter shaft, the boX L, secured to the boiler and supporting the shaft C, the arm N, extending from the cap of said box, the pinion P, sliding longitudinally on the engine-shaft and confined circumferentially thereon, and the lever Z, piv oted to the arm N and connected with the sliding pinion P, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

LEONARD AMES, JR. JAMES H. ABERCROMBIE.

\Vit-nesses:

A. H. AMEs, T. H WVEBB. 

